About
Purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo livestock guard dog who lived to be an astounding 31 years and 165 days old before passing away in October of 2023. Earlier that same year, he had been named by the Guinness World Records as the oldest living dog and the oldest hound in recorded history. His life expectancy was only 12 to 14 years. However, his owners attributed his longevity to a "calm, peaceful" environment, a diet of human food, and a life in the countryside where he roamed free with his numerous feline companions.
Before Fame
He was born into a litter of four puppies in 1992. At the time, it was considered standard practice to bury unwanted animals in a hole and he was initially meant to suffer this same tragic end along with the rest of his litter. However, he camouflaged with the brown and white wood pile where the litter was found, and the humans who owned his mother accidentally left him behind. The owners' sons returned for him and cared for him until he was too old to be put down.
Trivia
In the year 2023, he took the record from its previous holder Bluey, who was an Australian cattle dog that lived to be 29 years and 5 months in the year1939.
Family Life
He was raised by Leonel Costa in Conqueiros, which is located in central Portugal.
Associated With
Laika is also a world-record-breaking dog who became the first dog to ever orbit the Earth in the year 1957.
